Year 7 applications are now open for September 2027 – find out more

Hire our facilities >>

Click here to access Arbor Parent Portal

Academy Uniform and Equipment

The Academy

The Academy has a simple and smart uniform which we expect all students to wear.

Please look at all of the information on this page, to make sure that you buy the correct items.

We are able to provide a number of items for students that are eligible for Free School Meals or Pupil Premium Funding - look at the section at the bottom of the page for more information.

Our full uniform policy is available on our Trust’s website.

View the full uniform policy

Uniform

Compulsory Items – Clothing

  • Blazer with Academy badge sewn onto pocket – to be worn at all times
  • Academy tie with logo
  • White blouse or shirt – must be tucked in and top button fastened. Collar must be suitable to support a tie.
  • Plain black smart trousers (no skinny trousers, jeggings, leggings or jeans), plain black smart  knee/ankle length skirt (no tube skirts or jersey skirts) or plain black knee-length tailored shorts (no football shorts, jersey shorts, cycling shorts, black denim shorts or hotpants). Please note that no other style of trouser, skirt or short is permitted.
  • Tights should be plain black; socks should be black.

Compulsory Items – Footwear

  • Plain black polishable leather/leather look shoes, plain black leather/leather look ankle boots and ballet pumps are acceptable. Trainers, Crocs, Converse-style canvas trainers or sportswear-branded footwear are not acceptable.
  • Plain black v-neck jumper with or without sleeves (optional) – but no cardigans. A jumper must not be worn instead of a blazer. All students must wear blazers.
  • In adverse weather, a suitable coat can be worn over a blazer. Hoodies and tech fleeces are not acceptable.
  • Salwar Kameez and headscarves may be worn and should be plain in colour–
    students are still required to wear the Academy blazer and white shirt and tie.
  • Turbans, Patkas and Kippahs may be worn and should be plain in colour.
  • Kirpan Guidance can be found on the policies section of the Trust website
  • Tzitzits may be worn.
  • Blazers and ties should be worn at all times. 
  • Outdoor coats may be a variety of colours but should be smart, ideally waterproof and not covered in logos/lettering. They must fit over the blazer.
  • Ankle boots may be worn underneath trousers but should be smart and polishable. Shoes and boots must have a flat sole or have a low heel. These should be smart, NOT trainers or trainer style. They should be plain and not have coloured trims.
  • Salwar Kameez, headscarves, Turbans and Patkas may be worn and should be plain black
  • Nail varnish must be of a neutral tone, acrylic nails are not permitted.
  • If make up is to be worn, it must be natural and discrete
  • No other jewellery is permitted other than one set of stud earrings and one nose stud. Students will be required to remove these for practical lessons
  • If students wish to dye their hair, it must be of a natural colour
  • Hair clips, bands and beads must be black, grey or white

These items are not permitted as part of the Academy uniform

  • Trainers. Plain black trainers are not permitted, students must wear shoes
  • Trousers or skirts made from jersey or stretchy material, or that are ribbed, or too short or tight
  • Baseball caps
  • Hats, hoods, balaclavas, du-rags or bonnets
  • Hoodies, tracksuit tops, tech fleeces
  • Small cross-bags or pouches 
  • Brightly coloured nail varnish, false nails
  • Extreme hairstyles (bright/unnatural colours (eg blue, green, purple), lines or patterns shaved in hair)

P.E Kit

COMPULSORY ITEMS – CLOTHING

  • WBCA branded short sleeved t-shirt
  • WBCA branded long sleeved tracksuit top
  • Plain black tracksuit bottoms, small logo permitted, no stripes down the legs
 

Or

  • Plain black football shorts

COMPULSORY ITEMS – FOOTWEAR

  • Trainers for activities in the Sport Hall and on the MUGA
  • All boys require football boots from September through to January
  • Girls require football boots in April and May. Astro trainers may be suitable if the weather permits
  • Black base layers may be worn under the WBCA PE top
  • Shin pads are recommended for football

Items that are not permitted

  • Leggings
  • Flared leggings, joggers or tracksuit bottoms
  • Cycling shorts
  • Coloured base layers
  • Non-WBCA branded tracksuit tops

Other Important Information

For health and safety reasons, we have set the following rules:

  • One pair of small stud earrings may be worn (one earring per ear) but should not be excessively large. If the Academy considers that earrings present a health and safety risk, the student will be instructed to remove them.
  • One small nose stud may be worn. Multiple studs are not allowed. No other facial piercings.
  • Earrings and nose studs must be removed for PE lessons.
  • Long hair must be tied back for PE and practical Science lessons (please provide students with a bobble).
  • Other jewellery should not be worn and students will be asked to remove it.
 
  • Baseball caps are not allowed to be worn at any time while on the Academy site. Hats, hoods or other headwear such as du-rags, must not be worn inside the Academy. Balaclavas are not allowed.
  • No hoodies, sports jackets, tracksuit tops or tech fleeces.
  • No nail extensions, false nails and/or brightly coloured nail varnish.
  • No extreme hairstyles (e.g. bright unnatural colours, patterns or lines shaved in hair).
  • No small cross-bags (pouches) – students must bring a school bag that is large enough to carry all of their equipment including an A4 sized folder.
  • Chewing gum and energy drinks are not permitted, will be confiscated and a 1 hour detention issued.
  • Other banned items include any item that is deemed underage or has the potential to cause harm to others. Please see our Behaviour Policy for further information.

Please use the Uniform Discrepancy section at the back of the Student Planner to report any uniform issues to your child’s Form Teacher.

If there is an issue with an item of uniform your child will be issued with an item of Academy uniform to borrow.

They will be asked to correct the item of uniform as soon as possible; the Form Teacher may speak to family to offer some assistance.

If there is no valid reason for incorrect uniform, a sanction will be issued.

For information regarding the 5 Ks – please read this guidance.

S-CAT-Kirpan-Guidance

Where to Buy Uniform

We have two suppliers for our branded uniform items:

CC Uniforms

Gogna Schoolwear and Sports

The Academy blazer, tie and PE sports tops must be purchased from one of these suppliers.

Other items may be purchased from retailers of your choice, provided they meet the requirements on this list.

 

You may be untitled to apply for a voucher worth £25 to support you in buying your child’s Academy uniform.

Please find the criteria and further details on how to apply here.

Applications must be made via the Sandwell website and you must have a mySandwell account to apply online. We cannot accept applications and do not issue vouchers from school – it is done as part of the Sandwell scheme and we have been assured by contacts at Sandwell that the system is up and running and working.

How to Obtain Preloved Uniform
Parents and carers can request a list of available preloved uniform items by contacting the school’s main reception. Items can be reserved and collected from reception at a convenient time. While there is no charge for these items, families are welcome to make a small voluntary donation, which will be used to support student opportunities within the school.

How to Donate Preloved Uniform
We encourage families to donate any clean, good-condition uniform items, including shoes and trainers, that their child has outgrown. These can be handed in at the main reception
at any time during the school year.

Student Equipment

It is expected that students will bring their own set of equipment that they need to use in lessons each day.

Essential equipment

School bag that is large enough to carry an A4 folder and PE kit.

Pencil case containing:

  • Black or blue pens (black pen must be used in exams)
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Rubber
  • Sharpener
  • Green pen
  • Glue stick
  • White board pen

 

Drinks Bottles

We ask that students bring a drinks bottle to the Academy.

Drinks can be purchased at break and lunch time but in an effort to reduce single-use plastic, we are encouraging everyone to bring a bottle that can be refilled during the day.

This will also mean that students will have a drink with them when they need it (although drinks cannot be consumed in certain areas such as Science labs and DT workshops).

  • Pencil crayons or felt pens
  • Highlighter pens
  • Safety scissors
  • Geometry set including compass and protractor
  • Scientific calculator (Casio model fx83GT is the preferred type that we use in school)
  • Post-it notes
  • Flash cards
  • A4 folder containing dividers for each subject

Students will be provided with a Student Planner (diary/notebook) for recording homework and an A4 plastic popper folder for storing sheets.

Pupil Premium:
Uniform and Equipment Support

If your child is eligible for Pupil Premium Funding you will receive a letter outlining what we can do to offer support.

Part of this offer includes providing a set of equipment including:

  • Basic stationery and equipment provided for free at the start of each academic year and top ups when required (pens, pencils, ruler, green pen, pencil case, glue stick, rubber, whiteboard pen, sharpener)
  • A scientific calculator
  • Geometry set
  • Art materials
  • WBCA long-sleeved tracksuit top 
  • Revision guides and key texts as and when required
  • Revision materials such as flash cards, folder with dividers and poly pockets, highlighters, coloured pens
 
If you have already purchased items ready for September, you can contact Mrs Perry in the Safeguarding Team later on in the year, if your child needs any equipment replacing.